Gilbert spent 20 years trying to qualify for the TBF National Championship and when all the fish were weighed he was in a tie with second-place finisher Jeff Erickson of Phoenix, Ariz. TBF rules state that in a tie the first tie-breaker is the total number of fish caught. Each had 15. The next tie-breaker is the total number of fish weighed alive. All 15 of Gilbert's fish were weighed alive, while Erickson only weighed 14 of his 15 alive.

"This is a great honor for me," said the choked-up Gagner. "Stuff like this doesn't happen to people like me. I was just thrilled to be competing in the TBF National Championship and just came to fish. I didn't care how I finished. I was just honored to be here.

"I had a really horrible practice ... didn't catch a fish," Gagner went on to say. "I was moving way too fast and tried to force feed the fish. Come tournament time I slowed way down and that is what made the difference. During the competition I was able to make meticulous casts to the base of bushes and let the bait sit.

"The first two days I fished the same area using Senkos. Today, I moved to a new area and started throwing a jig. The lake is up about 8 feet, so I found the lip of where the lake is normally and fished a submerged ledge where the bass were just getting ready to spawn."

For his efforts Gagner won the $100,000 "Living the Dream" prize package, including cash and prizes, fully paid entry fees into the FLW tour, travel funds and use of a wrapped Ranger Boat and Chevrolet truck for the year.

FLW is the industry's premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 190 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport's richest payday and most coveted championship trophy - the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the "Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water," through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world's richest fantasy sports game - FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.

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May 13, 2019

South Laurel High School Wins 2019 KHSAA State Bass Fishing Championship on Kentucky Lake

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